Minutes of the Marketing & Programs Advisory Committee

March 2, 2005, MHLS Auditorium, 10:00am-1:00pm

Present: B. Flach, M. Keefe, A, Jordan, M. Pfisterer, M. Quick, R. Smith, M. Steinberg

Guests: M. Advocate, J. Cohen, B. Haymann-Diaz

Minutes of December meeting

Motion: 1^st: B. Flach ; 2^nd: M. Pfisterer
Discussion: none

Vote: passed

Old Business:

• Print Services Update
• HomeACCESS signage reviewed, R. Smith will provide revised wording to the committee for approval.
• New Residents bookmark will be released soon.
• If you liked…DaVinci Code Bookmark has been created, will be produced in a limited number and provided as a template on the MHLS web site.
• New - Redesign for database bookmarks was shared. A suite of custom graphics will be created to match up to the HomeACCESS categories that will be used on print materials that publicize HomeACCESS and on the HomeACCESS log-in page.
• New - Sign for Bestsellers (referred to M&P by Central Library/Collection Development Committee): Committee was in favor of MHLS creating a sign similar to that used by the Millbrook Library to draw attention to the capability of the staff to help patrons obtain bestsellers that aren’t physically present in the library.
• Bookmarks/other options: M. Keefe discussed a new page on the MHLS web site that helps members create their own bookmarks, highlighting books owned by the library – Suggested Reading Lists for young people coupled with directions and templates for creating your own customized bookmark. Committee members liked this concept, and would like to see it expanded to include help creating bookmarks for adults as well: mysteries, Janet Evanovich, historical fiction, etc.; added to the “Don’t Know What To Read?” web page (http://midhudson.org/read.htm); and the creation of a print publicity piece to draw attention to the “Don’t Know What To Read?” web page.

• Marketing a child’s first visit to the library: M. Keefe shared a new page on the MHLS web site in the Marketing & PR section to help libraries build up the event of issuing a child’s first library card.
  
  
• Weeding Resources: Committee reviewed the resources on the web site related to Weeding and asked that MHLS staff continue to promote these resources and create a place for libraries to report some of the more memorable titles found while weeding (for example: the oldest, dirtiest, most out of date information).
  
  
• Member default web pages: M. Advocate reported that 68% of member libraries with a default web page responded to a survey regarding their web page and help MHLS staff identify six items to add to each page to help enhance it: the director’s name, trustee names, ability to post the library’s newsletter, area elected officials, capability for a library to add their own content through a separately hosted vehicle (ex: blog) and a link to the Request-a-Title cartoon/tutorial.

New Business:

• Advocacy
• “This Item Traveled Miles to Reach You”: The committee reviewed a sample bookmark that could be used on the holds shelf to promote the value of resource sharing and the services of MHLS (automated circulation and delivery) to the patron to be used for a period of three months. R. Smith will draft text for the bookmark and send it to the committee for review.
• Saving Your Library Money: R. Smith reported that MHLS staff will continue to collect anecdotes from member libraries about how MHLS saves their library money as well as continue to improve MHLS’ capability to report to individual libraries the value of services they take advantage of in order to improve advocacy abilities.
• Demonstrating value of MHLS website to member libraries: M. Advocate shared the number of hits of various sections of the web site, the main page receives 20,000 hits per month. The Committee discussed ways in which MHLS can highlight areas of the web site that members might be unfamiliar with, for example, features in the Bulletin and listserv, reviewed for five minutes or less at DA meetings, reorganize navigation scheme on the front page. MHLS staff will promote specific areas of the web site through written communication with the members and at DA meetings.
• Programming for Legislators initiative: The committee brainstormed ideas to help facilitate invitations from member libraries to legislators:
• Invite the legislator to read to children during a library event
• Hold a press event for grant funded programs that the legislator is invited to
• Invite a legislator to come a see a program that is the result of a partnership with another local agency or grantmaker
• Provide an introduction to the electronic resources (OPAC and HomeACCESS) for legislators and their staff at your library
• Hold an Open House event for local, county, state and federal officials

• Marketing the OPAC

o Review OPAC Tutorials and Access Points: The Committee has recommended the following five enhancements to the OPAC to raise patron awareness of certain features:

§

Login: Check Your Record | Renew My Items | My Favorite Searches | Request-a-Title

A Login button, differently colored, to be placed on the bar before “Check Your Record,” for example:

§

§ To move the Kid’s Catalog button into the Search / Help section

§ To remove the “/” [slash] from in between the words Search and Help

§ To add a button even with the words “Search Help” that grants access to the tutorials.

§ To create printable versions of the tutorials for patrons.

· New to Renew? [http://www.midhudson.org/help/check_your_record_3.htm]

· New to Request-A-Title? [http://midhudson.org/help/request_a_title_3.htm]

· Request-A-Title Cartoon [http://midhudson.org/MovPage.htm]

o Teaching patrons about Request-a-Title: The Committee discussed the need for different levels of promotional/instructional materials for teaching patrons how to use Request-a-Title. M. Quick will share her brochure for helping patrons with Request-a-Title with MHLS staff. MHLS staff will work to create more tools to help libraries teach patrons of differing computer skill levels about the OPAC and specifically Request-a-Title.

• Getting to Yes

o How to convert program attendance into support?: The Committee was asked for their input to help seed some of the work that will be done by MHLS through their Getting to Yes LSTA grant over the next two years. Committee feedback included:

§ Analyzing the relationship of people who donate to the library who do not use the library as similar to people who vote who don’t use the library.

§ To gather tips from libraries that have successfully passed a 414 vote: where to collect signatures, how they have talked about the benefits of passing the vote, how to visually show a link between the funds passed and new services at the library.

§ How to motivate a board that has previously passed a 414 to do it again.

§ How to confront challenges to a budget vote – specifically that the majority of a library’s budget is spent on personnel.

§ How to relate the passage of a vote as a similar to making a good impression; similarities between winning a vote and “how to win friends and influence people” concepts.

• Teen Programming Ideas (referred to M&P by Continuing Education/Professional Development Committee)

o Categorize ideas by age range: B. Haymann-Diaz shared that PPLD is now categorizing programming for teens into grades 5-8 and 9-12 with the philosophy that for 5-8 programming should be more creative and for 9-12 programming will be educational/informative (ex: college fair, test taking skills). All agreed that performance-based programming, where kids get to perform is very popular amongst the full age range for teens. Other teen programming ideas: Murder Mystery Night (Staatsburg), Open Mic Night, Photo Scavenger Hunt, Photography, teen book sale workforce, book discussion for summer reading assignments at the library.

• Programming in a Small Library: R. Smith reported that the Small Libraries Round Table (formerly the Small Libraries Users Group) will next meet on Tuesday, June 14^th at the Stanford Library and will be discussing programming.

Tasks for MHLS Staff:

· R. Smith will provide revised wording for the HomeACCESS signage to the committee for approval.

· MHLS staff will develop signage to be used by all libraries to promote the availability of bestsellers through Request-a-Title.

· M. Keefe will expand the “Suggested Reading Lists” web page to include adult reading lists.

· R. Smith will create a print publicity piece for the “Don’t Know What to Read?” web page.

· MHLS staff will continue to promote weeding to members and create a way to collect notable titles weeded from member library’s collections.

· R. Smith will draft text to be used in a bookmark that will be used to draw patron attention to the delivery system.

· MHLS staff will work on ways to promote specific parts of the MHLS web site through print, electronic and verbal communications with members.

· MHLS staff will share the committee’s OPAC recommendations to Laurie for inclusion in the redesign.

· MHLS staff will work on creating materials to promote OPAC features for patrons with varying levels of computer skills.

Tasks for Committee Members:

· M. Quick will share her Request-a-Title brochure.

Report to DA:

1) The Committee gave five recommendations to Laurie to include in the OPAC redesign to help raise patron awareness of certain features:

§

Login: Check Your Record | Renew My Items | My Favorite Searches | Request-a-Title

A Login button, differently colored, to be placed on the bar before “Check Your Record,” for example:

§

§ To move the Kid’s Catalog button into the Search / Help section

§ To remove the “/” [slash] from in between the words Search and Help

§ To add a button/graphic, even with the words “Search Help,” that grants access to the tutorials.

§ To create printable versions of the tutorials for patrons.

· New to Renew? [http://www.midhudson.org/help/check_your_record_3.htm]

· New to Request-A-Title? [http://midhudson.org/help/request_a_title_3.htm]

· Request-A-Title Cartoon [http://midhudson.org/MovPage.htm]

2) The committee is working on signage to use in the library that will promote HomeACCESS and the availability of bestsellers through Request-a-Title.

3) The committee approved the creation of a bookmark to be used by libraries in books on the holds shelf that will help raise patron awareness of the MHLS delivery system called, “This Item Traveled Miles to Reach You”

4) The Committee discussed the need for different levels of promotional/instructional materials for teaching patrons how to use Request-a-Title, MHLS staff will be working towards creating such tools for members to use.

Handouts:

· Millbrook’s Bestseller’s sign

· If you liked…DaVinci Code Bookmark draft

· “This Item Traveled Miles to Reach You” ILL slip

· Teen Programs page (web site print out)

· Weeding & Selection Guidelines (web site print out)

· Suggested Reading Lists (for young people, birth to teens) (web site print out)

Next Meeting: June 13, 2005

Submitted by Rebekkah Smith, April 14, 2005